


roommate

by ghostluver420



Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved
Genre: M/M, kind of a slow burn ???, ooky kooky spooky, ryan is a ghost, shane is a skeptic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-17
Updated: 2017-06-20
Packaged: 2018-11-15 01:25:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 10,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11220357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghostluver420/pseuds/ghostluver420
Summary: Shane is 16 years old and moving to a new town with his mom after she divorced his father. Moving was hard enough in and of itself but once Shane learns about the grisly murder that happened in his new house years ago, he begins to doubt everything he previously thought he knew about ghosts.





	1. Chapter 1

"Y'know, honey, the realtor said the house is haunted."

The statement elicited a bout of bitter laughter from the boy as the thought of spooky Halloween costumes fashioned from sheets crossed his mind. He was never keen on the concept. It wasn't _exactly_ that Shane didn't believe in ghosts or the paranormal in general, but more that he just didn't understand how, with everything in the world being so _concrete_ and _absolute_ , something could just defy all the laws of physics like a ghost would. In his mind, there needed to be solid evidence that could be shoved into his face before he believed it. Some kooky realtor woman telling his poor, innocent mother that there's a ghost in their new house just somehow wasn't enough to convince him. However, he played along, for her sake.

"Yeah?" Shane asked, looking out the window at the surroundings of their new neighborhood. _This is nice_ , he found himself thinking.

His mother laughed quietly and shook her head a little. "I know you don't buy into all that ghost mumbo jumbo, but I think it's interesting! And spooky!"

Shane smiled and tapped his fingers on the window of the car. He loves his mother. He knew that even with her dying breath, she would do anything for him in a heartbeat. Which, honestly, is why they were finally packing up their belongings and moving. The tale of the Madej family's woe is long and solemn. Shane's father was a cruel man. Cold, calculating, and emotionally abusive to the both of them. Although he never laid a hand on either of them, as far as Shane knew, he was an expert in breaking them down until they could no longer bear it.

It had taken his mother _years_ to realize how badly their situation had gotten, noticing only when the tensions hit a peak six months ago in an incident that no matter how hard Shane tried, he simply could not bury the memory in the depths of his psyche. Once his mother saw how the fallout of her husband's actions and just how badly her son was being affected by the environment, she mustered up all of her courage and began the long and arduous process of divorcing him. The entire situation had been so incredibly draining and difficult, so seeing her in such high spirits was enough to give Shane the patience to listen to her ramblings about ghosts or whatever.

"So, did she tell you about this ghost thing?" he asked, glancing over at his mother. "Is it, like, some guy? Like some Civil War guy or something? Or... some sad Victorian lady? Just your average run of the mill creature of the night? Oh! Or one of those sad kids that rolls a ball up and down the hallway? Or a dog! A ghost dog!"

His mother laughed a little. "Oh, no, nothing like that. I don't know! When we were walking through the house, she mentioned that it was so cheap because a boy died in there."

Shane's eyebrows furrowed and he looked at his mother, a little dumbfounded. "You bought us a _murder house_ and didn't tell me?"

His mother shrugged softly and did not take her eyes off of the road. "I didn't think you would think it's a big deal! It's just a quirk! Besides, it was probably 15 years ago. She said the ghost isn't ornery or mean, but that the house has made some past tenants a little uneasy so no one ever stays long. I just figured that maybe we could change it, since nothing about our situation is normal anyway, so why not buy the murder house if the ghost is friendly!"

Shane sighed and rested his head on his arm. His mother's endless optimism was one of her most endearing qualities and it could honestly make any situation bearable, which might be why instead of arguing, he simply nodded and looked out the window, trying to picture which one of the houses on the street they turned onto is the one they would be living in soon.

His mother raised one hand from the wheel and pointed a slender, freshly manicured finger at one of the approaching houses before pulling the car into the driveway. She rubbed her son's shoulder before they both got out of the car. Shane felt awkward as he undid his seatbelt and swung his lanky legs out, feet planting on the ground too quickly. Somehow, this whole moving endeavor left him feeling similarly to when he started kindergarten: nervous, vaguely uncomfortable, and baffled by the situation laid out in front of him.

The house itself was relatively nonthreatening. If no one would have told Shane that someone had _literally died_ inside of the house, he wouldn't have ever even known. It was just a typical, suburban home. Nearly identical to the ones surrounding it, the only differences being color and the type of flowers planted in front. This being said, he knew that his mom most likely had an extensive Pinterest board dedicated to things they could do together to make this creepy murder house less murder-y and more Madej-y.

The sound of keys rattling suddenly filled his ears as his mom unlocked the front door and sighed dramatically in relief. "We're home, baby!" she cried, ecstatic, "Go get a box from the car!"

Shane smiled at his mother's enthusiasm as he returned to the car to pop the trunk and take a box labelled **DISHES** out to bring inside. He glanced up at the house once more before he listened to his mother and brought the box inside. _Maybe she's right, he thought. Maybe we'll be the ones to stay._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi guys, this is a crosspost from my wattpad (which is also @ghostluver420 because i love ghosts and ironic usernames) because i want everyone to be able to see it :^) hope you enjoy !!!


	2. Chapter 2

Shane sat on his new bed, in his new room, in his new house, in his new neighborhood, in this new town that they're making their new start in. The word seemed to echo in his ears. New. New. _New_. Almost robotically, Shane began to bite his nails: a nervous habit that formed during his early teen years. The thought of an absolutely blank slate was both intimidating and exciting to the teen. Every person in the world craves what he now has. A chance to start over, to right wrongs, and to reinvent yourself as an entirely new person. The absolute breadth of the possibilities left a sticky feeling of anxiety in the pit of his stomach.

He stood up and walked over to his mirror. His reflection stared back at him, the same as usual, and he sighed. Everything about him was so plain, from his flannel shirt to his blue jeans. His wardrobe rarely changed, save for the clothes his mother would occasionally buy him when he just outgrew his old ones too fast. He didn't really have a set sense of style, either. The clothes on his body were usually just the ones that caught his eye first. There was no theme, no greater aesthetic. The only theme seemed to be "Clothes That Fit and Shane Kind Of Likes," and for years, that was okay. But being in this new town? He wanted reinvention.

_Maybe I could be goth?_ he thought to himself, before laughing at the thought of his tall, lanky frame clothed in all black. The mental picture of his eyes circled in black raccoon eyeliner was certainly entertaining, but he just didn't feel like it would be a good fit.

_Or punk?_ His mental picture shifted to him in combat boots and ripped jeans, tattoos on his arms and piercings on his face. Again, totally fuckin' sick, but just not _Shane._

_Preppy?_ The thought of going into a store and buying pastel polo shirts and khakis was very unappealing to him. His dad wasn't even a lawyer, so how could he even threaten anyone? He could certainly wear the Vineyard Vines shirt, but he didn't have the personally to match. Next.

_Hipster?_ Shane thought maybe this one was attainable. He certainly owns enough flannel and he does wear glasses sometimes, but he doesn't know any of the cool indie coffee shops in the town and he can't even play a weird instrument, like the mandolin or the banjo.

He sighed and sat back down on the bed. Maybe his current style was fine after all. He doesn't look bad, per se. Just not too memorable. But maybe that's what he needs! To just blend in to his new surroundings and try not to cause too much of a fuss. Besides, it wasn't like he-- Suddenly, his thrilling internal monologue was interrupted by a loud bang on his wall.

"Mom?" he called downstairs. When a response never came, he hurried to the window and looked out, confused and certainly startled by the loud sound. Out the window, Shane spotted his mom getting the last boxes out of the car to bring inside. A sudden feeling of uneasiness settled over his body.

If the sound wasn't from his mom, then what could have possibly caused it? He began to bite his nails again as his brain racked through the possibilities. _Maybe something fell down in the next room? Or downstairs? Maybe the house is just settling? Or it could be that stupid ghost the crazy realtor was talking about?_ He shook his head at the last idea.

Ghosts aren't real and he was certain of it.


	3. Chapter 3

A handful of months had passed since Shane and his mom moved into the new house. The initial fears Shane had cultivated over living in a new town had all but disappeared. All in all, he was actually pretty happy with how things were shaping up so far. He had started school at Clover Valley High School and met an entirely new group of friends, even if he didn't change his wardrobe like he had been itching to upon his arrival. His grades were good, he liked his classes, and he didn't even really mind the homework so far. However, the one thing he couldn't shake was the feeling of intrigue that stemmed from what his mom had told him about the house. It seemed like he couldn't escape it, no matter where he went.

On his very first day of school, two boys sat down next to him in his English Literature class and introduced themselves. The tall one's name was Keith. Shane thought that was kind of a weird name but he seemed nice enough, if not a little strange. _Fitting_ , he guessed. Keith's friend's name was Zach. He was significantly smaller in stature than Keith but what he lacked in size, he made up for with entertaining conversation. The three of them were fast friends and got along well until the conversation suddenly began to drag and Keith looked questioningly at Zach, who only shrugged in response.

"So, uh." Keith started, as if he was uncertain about how to phrase whatever was coming next. "We heard you moved into the murder house on Meadowview Circle."

Shane frowned. He didn't want to be the freaky murder house kid. He wanted to make a name for himself, not have his reputation be decided by some old dead guy He just wanted to be Shane. He really didn't want the added bonus of being Freaky Murder House Guy as well.

"I don't know anything about it." he admitted, tapping his pencil on his desk and wishing the topic would just fizzle out and disappear to wherever forgotten conversations go to die.

Zach laughed. "Dude, I hear it's, like, _suuuper_ haunted," Shane felt himself growing irritated at the sound of the boy stretching the vowel. "You've gotta let us sleep over sometime. I want to meet the ghost."

Shane rolled his eyes at the mention of the supposed ghost. "Ghosts aren't even real, dude. Believe me, I would know by now if my house was haunted. I do live there, if you forgot."

"Suit yourself," Keith said, "but I don't believe you, dude Something freaky is going on inside your house and we want to see it for ourselves."

In a moment of what could only be described as sheer shaving grace, the bell rang to dismiss them and Shane felt a wave of relief crash over his body. They could have this conversation another day but right now, Shane was focused on getting to lunch fast enough to get himself some tater tots while they were still hot.

\---

Later on that night, Shane had assumed his typical browsing position in front of his computer. While his screen was usually occupied by a paper for school or some funny animal video, tonight his curiosity had gotten the best of him. If everyone was going to try and talk to him about this random dead guy, then he figured he might as well know what the hell to actually tell them. However, he quickly realized that he didn't even know where to begin, so his fingers lead the way, typing the search terms he did know before pulling information from those results to find more information. He was going to get to the bottom of this, no matter what.

 

 

**Google Search: 1636 Meadowview Circle**

_The Clover Valley Times  
April 29th, 2003_

_The Bergara family home, located at 1636 Meadowview Circle, will be put up for auction next Friday. There will be an open house, as well as a rummage sale. The auction will last from 3-6pm._

 

**Google Search: Bergara Murder Clover Valley**

_The Clover Valley Times  
September 16th, 2002_

_Clover Valley High School student Ryan Bergara, age 17, was found dead in his home last night as a result of an apparent break-in and murder. Ryan was a respected and loved member of the Clover Valley community and was known by others for his excitement about life as well as his involvement at school and in many extracurricular activities. A candlelight vigil will be held this weekend at Conrad Park and funeral services will be announced at a later date._

 

**Google Search: Ryan Bergara Death 2002**

_The Clover Valley Times  
September 30th, 2002_

_A local man has been taken into police custody in connection to the murder of Ryan Bergara, age 17, this past month. The man, a long time Clover Valley resident, is now being held by the Clover Valley Township police department and will soon face charges of first-degree murder, as well as breaking and entering and burglary, in court._

 

 

Shane sat back in his chair and rubbed his eyes. A heavy feeling of unrest settled into his chest as he contemplated what he had just read. Knowing that a murder was committed in this house was one thing, but knowing that a _kid his age_ was murdered in this house felt what he assumed going directly from little league teeball to MLB would feel like.

He stared at the ceiling for what felt like an eternity before he reached to turn his computer off. As he clicked on the various windows open on his computer to close out of them before he shut it down entirely, the machine froze on the news page with the dead boy's photo plastered on it. A sudden wave of nausea washed over Shane's body and he felt the goosebumps on his arm begin to rise, a clear sign that the room had rapidly dropped in temperature.

"Mom?" he called, "I think there's something wrong with the heating. It's freezing up here."


	4. Chapter 4

The day had come that Keith and Zach had finally convinced Shane to let them have a sleepover at his house. _Maybe, he thought, this would put an end to this ghost nonsense once and for all._ It was a novel thought, really, and he even fooled himself into believing it for a little bit. However, as soon as his friends were standing on his front porch with expressions of mixed wonder and terror, he knew that this simply wouldn't be as easy as he had originally thought.

"Come in, come in," he said, grabbing both of their overnight bags from their hands to take them upstairs to his room for them. The two boys stepped over the threshold and surveyed the interior of the house, eyes wide as they analyzed every last detail presented before them. They seemed to be so entranced by the house that Shane had to clear his throat to get them to follow him upstairs.

Once the door was shut behind them, it seemed as if Keith and Zach got their confidence back.

"Do you know what room it happened in?" Keith asked, his curiosity dripping from his words.

"Uh," Shane stalled, "No. I haven't really thought about it much."

That was a lie. It wasn't as if the thought was keeping Shane awake at night, but he often found himself wondering as he walked around his house. Was the very kitchen he makes his morning toast in where Ryan Bergara was killed? What about the bathroom he showers in? Was the killer hiding behind the curtain, like Shane always feared as a kid? Some nights as he laid in bed, he even wondered if Ryan was killed in that very room. Usually, he was able to shake the thought and go on with his life, but it always came back.

"Maybe," Zach said, "we could ask him."

Shane stared at the short boy, the confusion and annoyance evident on his face. "Yeah, Zach? We could just ask him? Let me get out my ghost telephone and I'll just dial him up! 'Yeah, hey ghost! These assholes were just wondering where exactly you were brutally murdered in my house!'" He scoffed and crossed his arms.

Keith laughed. "No, we were thinking more, like. The _spookier_ route."

Shane stared at him as well, baffled. "What. What does that mean?"

Zach turned and started to sort through the bag he brought until he laid his hands on the object he wanted. He turned back around to face the boys with the box in his arms.

Shane squinted at him. "So, you mean to tell me that you brought this fuckin' bullshit Hasbro, plastic ouija board to our sleepover because you want to talk to the _fake ghost_ in my house?"

Both of the boys nodded enthusiastically. "Since you think it's so fake, why don't you just do it to humor us?" Keith asked, eliciting a sigh from Shane.

"Whatever," he said. "Let's just play video games like we said we were going to and we can do your spooky ouija board fuckery when it gets dark."


	5. Chapter 5

Once Shane had sufficiently wrecked Keith and Zach during their gaming session, he sighed, knowing that the time had finally come. "Do you guys want to do your stupid ouija board thing now?"

The two boys seemed to be a little hesitant, almost a bit scared. Shane just laughed at them. "Surely, you're not actually scared of this ghost or whatever, right?"

"No!" Keith interjected, "We aren't scared. We're just-"

"My mom told me never to play with a ouija board," Zach said.

Shane looked puzzled. "It's just a piece of plastic, Zach. I'm sure if there really were ghosts, they'd probably demand more than just some dumb gimmicky kid's toy to talk to us. C'mon, dude. I'll light a candle, you guys turn off the lights. If we're going to play your game, then we're going to do it right."

The boys followed directions and suddenly, there they were, sitting in a circle around a ouija board on the floor with the candles burning to provide the only source of light in the room. It kinda reminded Shane of the movie Hocus Pocus. He loved that movie.

"Okay, so do we just put our fingers on the planchette and wait for it to move?" Zach asked.

"Yeah, I think so," Keith said.

The boys all put their fingers on the white planchette. Shane thought this was all pretty cult-y for a game where someone just pretends they aren't moving the planchette so the others get freaked out. But just out of curiosity's sake, he decided he wasn't going to mess with it. He was just going to let the 'spirits' lead the way, but he doubted it would actually move at all this way.

To his surprise, the planchette did begin to move until it landed on the 'hello' marking on the upper left corner of the board. The boys all looked at each other, surprised at the movement.

"Did you move it?" Shane asked both of them.

They both shook their heads. "No," Zach stated, "Maybe we should ask it questions now?"

"I'll go first." Keith said, "Uh, hello? My name is Keith. Do you have a name?"

The planchette began to move once again until it landed on the 'yes' marking.

"What is your name?" Zach asked. The planchette was still. He asked the question again, quieter this time.

The planchette finally began to move.

**R-Y-A-N**

The boys looked up at each other once again, expressions of shock and surprise on their faces. "Fuck you," Shane said, "Once of you assholes is moving it."

"We aren't, I swear!" Keith pleaded. "Let's ask it another. Shane, your turn."

"Uh, hi. Ghost. Spirit. Whatever. Did you, uh. Did you die in this house?"

The planchette slowly moved over the 'yes' marking.

Shane took a deep breath. "Were you murdered here?"

The planchette moved slightly before returning to the 'yes' marking.

Zach looked up at the other boys before he asked his question. "What room were you killed in, Ryan?"

**B-E-D-R-O-O-M**

Shane, despite firmly not believing what was going on, couldn't help but feel the heavy weight of anxiety settle into his stomach. He had pondered the morbid question so much that potentially having an answer to it left him feeling very, very unsettled. Knowing that there was a possibility that Ryan could have been murdered in the very room he slept in was enough to shake even the most stubborn skeptic.

"Is there anything else you would like us to know?" Keith asked.

The planchette stalled briefly before it began to spell out a word.

**S-H-A-N-E**

Shane heard a gasp, although he wasn't sure who it came from. His cheeks felt hot as the other two boys seemed to burn holes in him with their stares.

"What about Shane?" Zach asked.

**C-U-T-E**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i want you all to know that this chapter is literally my favorite thing i've ever written :^)


	6. Chapter 6

The sleepover with Zach and Keith left Shane with far more questions than it actually answered. For the first time, Shane was actually... doubting what he thought about ghosts? The new revelations left him feeling quite uneasy, so he searched for an explanation. A lot of his time post-sleepover was spent thinking about that night and every time, he wanted so desperately to just believe that it was Keith fucking with him, but there was this little nagging voice in the back of his head saying that maybe it actually was a ghost.

The matter wasn't simplified any by how every time, without fail, Shane thought about the interaction with Ryan, his cheeks went pink. It was such weird concept, a ghost thinking he's cute, but Shane couldn't stop thinking about it to the point where it became obsessive. However, instead of fading as the days passed, the obsession only multiplied to the point where Shane felt uneasy in his own bedroom, since he just couldn't push the thought of Ryan _dying_ in there aside. He needed to know more and _fast_ , for the sake of his sanity above all else. 

And so began Shane's big, spooky ghost internet spiral. He already knew that ghosts, if any of this was even real to begin with, could be reached with a ouija board. However, Zach took his with him when he left, so it was hardly an option for Shane at first. He consulted website after website, page after page, video after video searching for an option that was do-able. Most of the options only allowed for yes or no questions, but Shane itched to know answers that reached beyond the breadth of those two words. It was only when he had ended up on some obscure website called _Magical Mystic Maggie's Guide to the Great Beyond_ at two in the morning, that Shane decided that he would be better off just buying a stupid ouija board himself instead of dealing with any of this potions and pendulums nonsense right now.

He made the big leap after school the next day. Instead of coming straight home, as per usual, Shane made a little pit stop at the store in town. Admittedly, he felt a little silly as he, a gangly teenage boy well over six feet tall with limbs that were just too long for his body, stood in the kid's board games section looking for the item in question. However, once he found it and held it in his hands, he couldn't deny the way it felt like something had just clicked into place.

The car ride home was, for lack of a better word, intense. Shane felt hyper aware of the cardboard box sitting in his passenger seat and he glanced at it more times than he could count on both hands. Hands _and_ toes, even. There was something stirring inside of him. Something so vast and complicated that he couldn't begin to try and analyze the feeling, but he knew that he needed to get this thing out of the box as soon as humanly possible.

Waiting for the sun to go down felt like quite possibly the longest hours of Shane's life. He occupied himself with his math homework and lab report for chemistry, but the wait devoured his attention span and left him staring out the window instead of analyzing the effect of bromelain on gelatin. He knew, deep down, that he could take it out of the box whenever he wanted, but something about it being light out just didn't feel organic.

By the time the sun was finally setting, Shane was practically jumping out of his skin. Something compelled him to set the mood, so after some digging, he emerged from his mother's room with as many candles as he could muster. The scene of him scattering them around the room was nearly comical as he precariously balanced them on as many flat surfaces he could find until he was pleased with the glow that was generated by the candles. He took his time unboxing his new toy and arranging it on his bedroom floor. A chill went up his spine as he thought about the board presumably being on the very spot of the murder itself. Finally, he locked the door.

"Oh, _god_." he mumbled as he turned around. "We're doing this, I guess."


	7. Chapter 7

Shane sat down on the ground and rested his fingers on top of the white planchette, just like he had did a week prior. This time, however, the atmosphere felt different. For one, he was all alone. He knew that whatever happened tonight couldn't be attributed to someone else tampering with the board. It kind of excited him, honestly, but the skeptic within him quickly emerged to try and pull him back to his senses. _It's like a science experiment,_ he reassured himself. _This is just the control run, right? This is... this is definitely for science._

"Uh, hey. Ryan. If you're here. It's me, Shane, again. I just want to ask some more questions, I guess." he said, anticipating the movement of the planchette with every fiber in his being. "Ryan? Are you here right now?"

A burst of excitement fluttered in Shane's stomach as the planchette quickly moved to the 'yes' marking in an almost eager motion.

"I have some questions I want to ask, if that's okay. Is this your room?" he asked, focusing intently on the object beneath his fingers. He knew that the answer was within him, but he wanted confirmation from the source himself before he would be content with it.

_Yes._

"Oh. Cool. Uh," he stammered, "Sorry if this is, like, too personal or whatever, but is this the bedroom where you were killed?"

_Yes._

"Who killed you?" Shane paused, considering the weight of the question he presented. A spark of fear presented itself as he imagined Ryan quitting the game because of his dumb question. Still, he persisted. "Did you know him?"

_No._

The boy fell silent as he considered the implication of Ryan's answer. It was a lot of process and Shane struggled to truly wrap his head around it. Someone had _came into the house_ and killed Ryan. A complete stranger invited himself into Ryan's home and just _murdered him_ before his life really even had a chance to begin. As he slipped deeper into his own head, Shane felt very nauseous and, for a brief moment, considered ending the game entirely. _It just isn't right to disturb the ghost like this_ , he thought.

Suddenly, a familiar wave of skepticism washed over Shane and before he could stop himself, he had already asked the question: "Are- Are ghosts really real? Am I just imagining this? Is this some type of weird candle-induced trip?" The heavy mood began to lift as quickly as it had come on when the planchette started to shift and spell out:

**D-U-M-B-A-S-S**

Shane stared at the board in disbelief. The shock didn't come from anything relating to the existence of ghosts, but from the fact that he literally just got fuckin' owned by one of them. Still, a smile tugged at his lips. Ryan was feisty and Shane kind of liked that. He shook the embarrassing thought away and racked his brain for a new, worthwhile question.

"Do you like being a ghost?" he asked, hesitantly. It was such a kindergarten question that Shane mentally kicked himself for even asking. He didn't think it would be surprising if the planchette ended up on 'goodbye' because of it, but much to his surprise, it began to move again.

_No._

"Oh," he said, softly, "Why not?" The planchette stuttered under his hand as it moved to form another word:

**B-O-R-I-N-G**

Shane felt puzzled as he thought what Ryan had just said. He supposed it would be boring. It wasn't like he had any concept of how ghosts actually worked, but he imagined that Ryan was probably just stuck in the house all day every day and had been since the day he was killed. He frowned at the thought. "Is there anything I can do to help? I'll try to do it for you."

**S-U-M-M-O-N M-E**

Shane stared at the board, absorbing what had just been spelled out for him. He didn't know the first step of summoning the dead. Where does someone even look for advice on that? He sighed, shrinking away from the mountainous task that sat before him.

"I really need to go," he said, moving the planchette to the 'goodbye' marking, turning it upside down, and removing it from the board. 

"I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry."


	8. Chapter 8

There have been a lot of times in Shane's life where he thought that his browser history would be worrying if people other than him ever looked through it, but nothing quite topped the history he compiled after Ryan asked him to summon him during their ouija board session. All in all, Shane has always considered himself pretty clean cut. His interests have always been relatively safe and normal, with the most extreme ones being violent video games that his mom didn't quite approve of. Up until this whole ghost endeavor, he hadn't even heard of things like paganism or rituals, the very things he was so intensely researching now.

Between his hundreds of searches of _'how to bring the dead back to life'_ and _'how to summon a ghost,'_ Shane had compiled enough information to make him feel like he had created a solid foundation to build this whole ritual on. However, there was still work to be done, which is why he soon found himself sitting in the corner of the local library looking at a dusty book about witchcraft.

He glanced at the notebook resting on the arm of his chair. The list of herbs and materials he would need for this ritual was growing and growing. _Bay laurels, lavender, thyme, birch bark, dried cedar needles..._ Shane rubbed his forehead. He felt as if he was in too deep. A week ago, he was struggling to complete a level on a new video game. Today, he's planning a ritual to manifest the spirit of a dead boy in his bedroom. Oy.

He didn't even know how he was going to acquire any of this, either. He had managed to acquire some of the more basic herbs at the grocery store, but some of the harder to find materials required a trip online and a suspicious charge to his mother's credit card. God, his poor sweet mother. Shane really didn't understand how she hadn't walked in on any of his recent antics yet.

With his pile of _necromancy materials_ slowly growing in his closet, Shane had plenty of time to think about why exactly he's doing all of this, especially while the fucking _mugwort_ and _wormwood_ were being shipped to his house. The thought of meeting Ryan face to face excited him, but he watched enough movies as a kid to fear the thought of permanently ruining the timeline of their universe. His feelings about the ritual shifted nearly every single day on a spectrum from pure, unadulterated excitement to absolute, intense terror and regret. The entire situation, he felt, was turning into some giant mess of feelings that he couldn't clarify or try to understand.

However, one thing _was_ clear: He couldn't back out now.


	9. Chapter 9

"So, how's your ghost boyfriend?"

Shane could nearly picture his face getting flushed as he focused intensely on his school lunch to avoid the teasing from his friends. His ouija board sessions with Ryan were becoming a nearly nightly occurrence and Keith and Zach were having a ball with that knowledge. While Shane could attribute some of it curiosity and fake science, he knew that the true reason was the fluttery feeling he got in his stomach whenever the planchette would move. He shook his head, dipping one of his french fries in the tiny paper cup of ketchup on his lunch tray.

"I'm not dating him," Shane protested, exasperated. It wasn't a lie. Dating requires the consent of both involved and as far as Shane knew, they had never talked about it. Besides, Shane hardly even knew what Ryan looked it. Not to mention the whole ghost thing, which would complicate the hypothetical situation immeasurably. Regardless of the long-winded explanation, Shane wasn't dating the ghost.

However, that's not the say there wasn't a heavy amount of flirting in their ouija board conversations. It was weird. It was so _fucking weird_ and Shane was so _painfully_ aware of it. Unfortunately, his inability to keep this all to himself was what landed him in this situation. It began as an offhand comment to Keith and Zach while they were driving to Wendy's at midnight last weekend. He mentioned, nonchalantly, that he had been talking to the ghost a lot lately. He figured that it wouldn't be that big of a deal, but he was quickly proven wrong by the way Zach whipped around in his seat to look at him, eyes wide and mouth gaping.

"The ghost that thinks you're cute?" he had asked, voice rising in pitch throughout the entire sentence.

Shane remembers his face feeling hot as he nodded. "Uh, yeah," he said, "That one. The only one in my house."

Zach had gasped, eyes lighting up. "Are you guys boyfriends now? Are you dating the ghost?"

Zach's enthusiasm tickled Keith so much that he nearly had to pull the car over because he was laughing so much. Shane's face burned with embarrassment as the conversation quickly became his friends' favorite inside joke.

So, here they were, sitting at their usual lunch table with Shane as the butt of the joke again. It wasn't as if he felt offended by it, but more so that it was just too close to reality for his comfort. Especially since last night, he had asked Ryan if he would have dated him while he was still alive and Ryan said 'yes' almost embarrassingly quickly. That, Shane had decided, was only for him to know. He didn't want to encourage his friends because God knows they get enough encouragement on their own.

"Can I plan your wedding?" Zach asked, playfully. Shane swatted him away, but Zach continued teasing. "I want you to imagine the Haunted Mansion ride at Disney, but it's your wedding."

Shane laughed as the image filled his mind. "Yeah, of course. Make sure all the flowers are dead and wilted, though. For the aesthetic."

Keith scoffed. "Do you really think we would have _live flowers_ at your ghost wedding? This isn't amateur hour, Shane!"

The teasing continued for the rest of lunch until their banter was interrupted by the sound of the bell and a hundred kids shuffling to leave the room as soon as possible. Keith gave him a friendly slap on the back as he left to stop at his locker before his next class. Shane felt a sense of relief at their absence. He knew his friends meant well, but every conversation they had about Ryan left him itching to go home and dig his stupid ouija board out.

It was only in calculus later that day that Shane admitted to himself what had been obvious to everyone around him as he doodled little ghosts in his notes. _Maybe I do have a crush on him,_ he thought. _Shit. Shit, shit, shit._


	10. Chapter 10

The day's final beams of sunlight streamed through Shane's window, bathing everything within reach in a warm glow. He glanced thoughtfully at the display as he sorted the materials he had been stashing in his closet for the past month. He felt serene. The rippling sensation that had been tearing through his soul lately had grown placid. As he handled the bundles of herbs, he couldn't deny the skepticism that still lingered within him. It was necromancy, after all. A month ago, Shane had no idea it existed outside of World of Warcraft. Now, here he was, setting up an altar in his bedroom.

Aside from gathering all the necessary materials, Shane still felt unsure about how to proceed with the actual ritual, so he enlisted the help of a friend. Her name was Safiya and he met her through a friend of a friend. She was tall and intimidating, her entire body clothed in black. They bonded quickly, but Shane's interest was particularly piqued by her mention of witchcraft during one of their conversations. He had texted her later that night, asking if she knew anything about ghosts. She texted him back rather quickly saying she had recently been dabbling, but was looking to get more experience. _Perfect,_ Shane had thought in that moment, _I have just the job for you_.

He had a brief conversation with Ryan earlier in the day with the purpose of telling him that he was going to try and summon him. From his responses, Shane could tell that the ghost was excited. Even if he failed, the attempt was still there. Honestly, if he failed, Shane had the drive to keep trying until he could see Ryan face to face.

His stomach turned at the thought. He glanced at his laptop and before he could control it, his fingers were typing the name _Ryan Bergara_ into Google Images. He had seen the pictures in the news articles he had read, but Shane never really thought to look closely at the boy he would hopefully be summoning that night. Upon expanding the first image, he found himself feeling smitten. Ryan was cute. His smile in the picture Shane found was just so _endearing_ and he found himself smiling too. The thought of standing face to face with him, feeling his body's presence rather than his spirit's, excited Shane. He felt the tingling all throughout his body. His mind was tugged back into reality by the renewed sense of urgency that began to form.

Shane was ready to meet Ryan. They had been speaking for months at this point, but Shane was ready to see his face. He was ready to touch his skin and feel him there, to associate him to something other than a plastic kid's toy. He picked up his phone and sent a quick text to Safiya.

_I'll be over to pick you up in 30, okay?_

He bit his nails and set to the task of assembling this altar like he read he was supposed to. As he understood, he was supposed to ingest some of the herbs, so he set those aside. _Saf will know how to do that,_ he thought. _She's the witch after all_ He figured he could probably do the rest on his own, so with the help of a couple wiki-how articles and some Google Image photos, he arranged the remaining materials in a somewhat coherent display on his floor. He stepped back to admire his work. Not half bad! he thought, smiling to himself. He thought that if Ryan was watching right now, he would also be pretty stoked. Suddenly, his phone buzzed and a message from Safiya popped up on the screen.

_ok !!! i'll be ready, just knock when you get here :)_

Shane smiled. He took comfort in the fact that he wasn't alone. This ritual was so beyond the scope of what Shane knew and was comfortable, so having a hand to hold made the whole endeavor much less scary. He had read online that rituals like this can be dangerous because they open a portal to the other side, but Shane did not feel afraid. Instead, he was eager and Safiya shared the sentiment. When Shane told her about his full plans, he expected her to run away and never speak to him again. Instead, she merely asked what research he's done so far. She was positively fearless and Shane really admired that about her.

A quick glance at the clock told Shane that it was time to leave to pick up Safiya. He felt the excitement buzzing in his veins as left his bedroom to grab his keys off of his kitchen counter.

"Mom?" he called out, "I'm leaving to go get my friend."

His mom appeared from the living room, dressed in her pajamas and covered by a fuzzy robe. She smiled warmly at him and opened her arms for a hug. Once she had the boy in her arms, she whispered softly to him. "Please be careful, darling. It's so dark out."

Shane nodded her and did not dare to end the hug before she did. He understood why she would worry, but Shane was responsible. He wasn't reckless. "Okay, mom." he mumbled as she left go of him and rubbed his arm.

"I love you, Shane." she said firmly, making him meet her eyes.

"I love you too, Mom." he said, hugging her once again. "I'll be back in twenty."

With that, he jingled his keys and left the kitchen. Once he was outside, standing next to his car, he basked in the quiet darkness. His mother was right, it was very dark out, but that was typical for transition from fall to winter. He unlocked his car door and got inside, turning it on as soon as possible so that he could get the heat going. It was rather chilly out and he was certainly feeling it, but he wanted to make sure the car was comfortable for his friend too.

Shane always liked driving at night. The dark never scared him. He liked the way the streets got so empty in some places and how beautiful the traffic lights looked against the solid blackness that engulfed the sky. It was just so _peaceful_. He could be alone with only his thoughts, the music coming from his radio, and the hum of his car engine. Recently, the only times he had been able to drive at night had been transporting Keith and Zach around, but now he finally had the chance to be alone and reflect on his thoughts. He savored it like a starving man would savor the last meal he ever ate. Being such a rarity, driving alone at night was such a divine treat for him.

The drive to Safiya's house wasn't particularly exciting, but Shane enjoyed that he could just mostly take the back roads with the exception of a few main roads within their town. Safiya lived in a small neighborhood within the woods just outside of the town center. It was quaint, he had just been there during the day the week prior. However, Shane took a new interest in the shapes made by the trees and building in the dark. They looked like people, reaching with their long arms and fingers toward his car. It certainly was spooky, but then again, so was Safiya, so he figured it was only fitting. The bright shine of the traffic lights at a somewhat busy intersection soon entered into his field of vision and he knew that he was nearly there, as the lights signaled that Safiya's house was only a few more winding roads away. Time seemed to drag on forever until the light _finally_ turned green and he proceeded onward.

And then it stopped.

Bright white lights flooded his vision as the car perpendicular to his own collided with his vehicle, halfway through the intersection. The sound of metal, scraping and crunching, grated at his ears and mingled, almost flirted, with his own screams. His body jolted forward, away from this mortal plane, and suddenly, there was nothing at all.

He floated in a vast, gaping abyss of absolute black nothingness. The only sensation he could feel was the warm void engulfing his body, simultaneously embracing him and pulling him away in a thousand different ways. There was no sound. There was no light. There was only void.

Then out of the darkness, slowly, he saw a figure begin to approach him. It got closer and closer, contrasted sharply with the pitch black behind it. Shane felt like he was squinting impossibly hard, but he still could not make out any features. It felt like time was like a bottle of molasses, dripping slowly, slowly, slowly. He could not move. Could not speak, could not gesture, could not do anything. He was stuck, seemingly by the contains of his own body and the churning void's vice grip on it. It could have been an eternity before the figure was right in front of his face.

Slowly, he began to recognize it. The dark black hair, eager eyes, and endearing smile began to form an actual person. Shane had the overwhelming feeling of meeting an old friend he hadn't seen in years. _Ryan_ , he realized, and reached out for the boy. His arms felt like they weighed a ton each and moved so unbearably slowly, but Ryan's hand reached to meet his own and intertwined their fingers. Shane felt a searing feeling of warmth engulf his entire being. It burned him and he wanted to cry out, but there was no sound left within him.

Ryan looked at him and Shane searched his dark eyes for answers. "It's nice to meet you," the other boy said and Shane felt it all over. His entire body was humming a tune that consisted of _Ryan Ryan Ryan Ryan Ryan_. Time pulsed, speeding up suddenly as Ryan brought their lips together in a kiss, before slowing down to that same skull-numbing pace once again. In that moment, Shane's soul was set alight. Ryan pulled away and smiled at him, fondly.

"Now, come on. I want to go home. I'm your new _roommate._ "


	11. Alternate Ending

The day's final beams of sunlight streamed through Shane's window, bathing everything within reach in a warm glow. He glanced thoughtfully at the display as he sorted the materials he had been stashing in his closet for the past month. He felt serene. The rippling sensation that had been tearing through his soul lately had grown placid. As he handled the bundles of herbs, he couldn't deny the skepticism that still lingered within him. It was necromancy, after all. A month ago, Shane had no idea it existed outside of World of Warcraft. Now, here he was, setting up an altar in his bedroom.

Aside from gathering all the necessary materials, Shane still felt unsure about how to proceed with the actual ritual, so he enlisted the help of a friend. Her name was Safiya and he met her through a friend of a friend. She was tall and intimidating, her entire body clothed in black. They bonded quickly, but Shane's interest was particularly piqued by her mention of witchcraft during one of their conversations. He had texted her later that night, asking if she knew anything about ghosts. She texted him back rather quickly saying she had recently been dabbling, but was looking to get more experience. _Perfect,_ Shane had thought in that moment, _I have just the job for you._

He had a brief conversation with Ryan earlier in the day with the purpose of telling him that he was going to try and summon him. From his responses, Shane could tell that the ghost was excited. Even if he failed, the attempt was still there. Honestly, if he failed, Shane had the drive to keep trying until he could see Ryan face to face.

His stomach turned at the thought. He glanced at his laptop and before he could control it, his fingers were typing the name _Ryan Bergara_ into Google Images. He had seen the pictures in the news articles he had read, but Shane never really thought to look closely at the boy he would hopefully be summoning that night. Upon expanding the first image, he found himself feeling smitten. Ryan was cute. His smile in the picture Shane found was just so _endearing_ and he found himself smiling too. The thought of standing face to face with him, feeling his body's presence rather than his spirit's, excited Shane. He felt the tingling all throughout his body. His mind was tugged back into reality by the renewed sense of urgency that began to form.

Shane was ready to meet Ryan. They had been speaking for months at this point, but Shane was ready to see his face. He was ready to touch his skin and feel him there, to associate him to something other than a plastic kid's toy. He picked up his phone and sent a quick text to Safiya.

_I'll be over to pick you up in 30, okay?_

He bit his nails and set to the task of assembling this altar like he read he was supposed to. As he understood, he was supposed to ingest some of the herbs, so he set those aside. _Saf will know how to do that,_ he thought. _She's the witch after all._ He figured he could probably do the rest on his own, so with the help of a couple wiki-how articles and some Google Image photos, he arranged the remaining materials in a somewhat coherent display on his floor. He stepped back to admire his work. _Not half bad!_ he thought, smiling to himself. He thought that if Ryan was watching right now, he would also be pretty stoked. Suddenly, his phone buzzed and a message from Safiya popped up on the screen.

_ok !!! i'll be ready, just knock when you get here :)_

Shane smiled. He took comfort in the fact that he wasn't alone. This ritual was so beyond the scope of what Shane knew and was comfortable, so having a hand to hold made the whole endeavor much less scary. He had read online that rituals like this can be dangerous because they open a portal to the other side, but Shane did not feel afraid. Instead, he was eager and Safiya shared the sentiment. When Shane told her about his full plans, he expected her to run away and never speak to him again. Instead, she merely asked what research he's done so far. She was positively fearless and Shane really admired that about her.

A quick glance at the clock told Shane that it was time to leave to pick up Safiya. He felt the excitement buzzing in his veins as left his bedroom to grab his keys off of his kitchen counter.

"Mom?" he called out, "I'm leaving to go get my friend."

His mom appeared from the living room, dressed in her pajamas and covered by a fuzzy robe. She smiled warmly at him and opened her arms for a hug. Once she had the boy in her arms, she whispered softly to him. "Please be careful, darling. It's so dark out."

Shane nodded her and did not dare to end the hug before she did. He understood why she would worry, but Shane was responsible. He wasn't reckless. "Okay, mom." he mumbled as she left go of him and rubbed his arm.

"I love you, Shane." she said firmly, making him meet her eyes.

"I love you too, Mom." he said, hugging her once again. "I'll be back in twenty."

With that, he jingled his keys and left the kitchen. Once he was outside, standing next to his car, he basked in the quiet darkness. His mother was right, it was very dark out, but that was typical for transition from fall to winter. He unlocked his car door and got inside, turning it on as soon as possible so that he could get the heat going. It was rather chilly out and he was certainly feeling it, but he wanted to make sure the car was comfortable for his friend too.

Shane always liked driving at night. The dark never scared him. He liked the way the streets got so empty in some places and how beautiful the traffic lights looked against the solid blackness that engulfed the sky. It was just so _peaceful._ He could be alone with only his thoughts, the music coming from his radio, and the hum of his car engine. Recently, the only times he had been able to drive at night had been transporting Keith and Zach around, but now he finally had the chance to be alone and reflect on his thoughts. He savored it like a starving man would savor the last meal he ever ate. Being such a rarity, driving alone at night was such a divine treat for him.

The drive to Safiya's house wasn't particularly exciting, but Shane enjoyed that he could just mostly take the back roads with the exception of a few main roads within their town. Safiya lived in a small neighborhood within the woods just outside of the town center. It was quaint, he had just been there during the day the week prior. However, Shane took a new interest in the shapes made by the trees and building in the dark. They looked like people, reaching with their long arms and fingers toward his car. It certainly was spooky, but then again, so was Safiya, so he figured it was only fitting. The bright shine of the traffic lights at a somewhat busy intersection soon entered into his field of vision and he knew that he was nearly there, as the lights signaled that Safiya's house was only a few more winding roads away. Time seemed to drag on forever until the light _finally_ turned green and he proceeded onward.

He arrived at her house a bit earlier than anticipated, so he stalled in his car for a few minutes before he went up to the door. He rang the doorbell and waited, looking around at the surroundings of her front porch. Her family home was well-decorated, with plants sitting all over their porch and a what appeared fresh coat of paint on the door. He liked it. He thought it felt very fitting. Within moments, Safiya appeared at the door.

"Hi!" she exclaimed, hiking the strap of her tote bag up onto her shoulder. He wasn't sure what was in it, but he assumed it was most likely extra materials she deemed necessary for their ritual. "Are we ready?"

Shane nodded and she shut the door behind herself. He led the way back to his car and opened her door for her before he even got in himself. He _was_ a gentleman after all. The drive home consisted of idle conversation while Safiya fiddled with the radio before she found a station she liked. Shane liked it, too. The atmosphere was warm and comfortable, which helped to greatly ease both of their tensions before they attempted such an intense ritual.

Before he knew it, they were pulling back into Shane's driveway. It wasn't the first time Safiya had been to his house, so he didn't feel the awkward need to try and explain that it was, in fact, the Clover Valley murder house. They exited the car and Shane offered to take her bag for her, which she graciously accepted. _A little heavy,_ he thought. _I wonder what she's got in here._

Upon entering his bedroom, Safiya made a pleased humming sound once she saw the work he had already done to set up. "This looks awesome, Shane." she praised, voice thick with enthusiasm. Shane smiled. As he arranged the altar earlier, he had felt very unsure and knowing that Safiya approved felt like a large weight had been taken off of his chest, "Not too bad for an amateur!"

Shane set her bag down on the ground. "Hey," he said, "What's in your bag, by the way?"

"Oh!" she said, as if she had forgotten about the bag entirely. "Uh, just some stuff I thought we might need. I went ahead and got a jar of dirt from his grave plot. I also brought some incense and stuff."

Shane stared at her for a second, the second half of the sentence not even processing in his head. _That would explain why the bag was so heavy, he thought._ "How did you get the dirt? What?"

She shrugged, as if it wasn't a big deal. "I just went to the cemetery after dark with a shovel. It's just a mason jar, it's not huge or anything."

Shane rubbed his forehead, as if he was trying to rub the confusion away. "How did no one stop you?"

Safiya laughed and got the jar out of her bag. "No one's going to think that a teenage girl is up to anything bad. They probably thought I was meeting a boy or something."

Shane nodded. "Uh, yeah. That makes sense, I guess. What do we need the dirt for?"

She looked at him as if he were stupid. "How else is he going to know we're trying to summon him? He doesn't really have much else of a tether to the world, Shane."

Shane sighed. "I guess that also makes sense. Do we have to, like, dumb it on the floor? My mom would seriously flip."

"No," she said, "We can just keep it in the jar and put it in the middle of the altar. I would've figured your mom would be mad already, since you're trying to summon a ghost in your house."

Shane frowned. "She doesn't even know. I told her you're here to work on a project for Spanish. Let's try to keep it that way."

She laughed at him as she opened the jar of dirt and set it in the middle of the altar he had set up, careful not to spill any for the sake of his carpet. "So, what do you say? Let's get this thing going."

The two of them added the final touches to their floor altar before they lit Shane's trusty candles and sat before it. He looked at her, waiting for the next instructions. She grabbed her tote bag and rummaged through it, pulling out a black leather-bound notebook.

"I wrote down some spells that we're supposed to say before we do anything." she said, as she opened the black book. Shane nodded. She sat the book in front of them.

_"Colpriziana, offina alta nestra, fuaro menut, I name Ryan the dead which I seek. Ryan, thou art the dead that I seek. Spirit of Ryan, deceased, you may now approach this gate and answer truly to my calling. Berald, Beroald, Balbin, Gab, Gabor, Agaba! Arise, I charge and call thee."_

"Now," she said, "I want you to draw an 'x' on the birch bark with this piece of chalk. I'm going to light the incense when you're done and when it starts to smoke, then we'll say this next one."

Shane did as he was told and they both eagerly watched the incense as it started to burn. Once it began to release little swirling streams of smoke, Safiya began to speak once again.

_"Allay Fortission Fortissio Allynsen Roa!"_

Shane wasn't sure of what these spells meant, but Safiya had explained that they were combinations of both broken Latin and Hebrew meant to give breath and strength to the spirit. He nodded, as if he understood, but still didn't quite grasp what exactly the point was. However, it didn't matter. At this point, the portal was open.

Just as Shane had begun to give up hope of this working, there was a stirring. Despite the night being rather still outside, a strong and unmistakable breeze began to filter through Shane's windows. It blew his curtains forward, away from the window. The candles around the room grew brighter and brighter as a faint rumbling noise made itself heard. From the smoke being released from the incense on the floor, a figure began to form. The smoke twisted and swirled, becoming darker and more solid as it took on the shape of a human being. Then, all of the candles went out. The air went still. The only sounds in the room were Shane's breath, Safiya's breath, and the breath of one other person.

Shane's bedroom lights suddenly came on. Standing before them was a boy. He had dark brown hair, dark eyes, and that same endearing smile that Shane had studied so closely earlier in the day. _Ryan_. Shane reached a hand out to touch him, his mind filled with complete disbelief in what stood before him. Safiya let out a giddy laugh.

"Ryan?" Shane asked quietly, as if his words could make the boy disappear again if they were too loud.

Ryan smiled and touched Shane's outstretched hand. His skin felt the same as anyone else's, but it was _cold_. As he looked at him closer, he noticed that everything about him looked faded, sort of like an aged picture, but he was _here_. Shane could finally feel his presence in front of him and a smile grew on his face to match the one on Ryan's.

"Hi," Ryan said softly."I missed you."

With that, the boy knelt down to get level with Shane. He took both of Shane's hands in his own, taking a moment to feel the contrast between the warm and the cold, _the alive and the dead_. He met his eyes, as if he were searching for something, and they crinkled in the corners as he grinned again. 

"God, you're so cute,"Shane laughed, a soft and gentle sound that made Ryan's heart feel like it was about to beat right out of his chest: a feeling he hadn't felt in a very long time.

Ryan smiled and pressed his lips to Shane's for the very first time.


End file.
